Three-dimensional analysis of flow blockage accident in Tehran MTR research reactor core using CFD

In the present study, a 3D simulation of flow blockage accident which may occur in the coolant channels of a fuel assembly of Tehran research reactor (TRR) is investigated using CFD code. Consideration is given to the scenario in which partial blockage of hot channel occurs due to buckling of its fuel plates towards the inside. Governing conservation laws are solved using Control volume approach and pressure field is coupled to the velocity field through the SIMPLE algorithm. Flow convergence is considered when the residual for all flow variables are less than 10−5. The simulation is performed under four different obstruction levels of the nominal flow area, i.e., 0%, 20%, 50% and 70%. By solving momentum and energy equation in three channels with their fuel plates, it is found that heat transfer is substantially affected by channels flow field. In the blockage accident, decrease in flow rate of the obstructed channel decreases cooling capacity of the obstructed channel as a result of hydraulic resistance augmentation. The obtained results show that above the 50% blockage, critical phenomena will appear which may compromise the clad integrity. Moreover, in the 70% blockage scenario, the clad temperature in the obstructed channel reaches the value associated with nucleate boiling temperature at the operative pressure.